Araneidae Clerck, 1757

Family |   ACCEPTED

N.B.: family name and authorship as per ICZN, 2009 Opinion 2224, after application by Kluge, 2007; Arkyinae L. Koch, 1872 (genera Arkys Walckenaer, 1837 and Demadiana Strand, 1929) elevated to Arkyidae by Dimitrov et al., 2017: 244; monophyly of Araneidae stated by Kallal et al., 2018: 138; Nephilinae Simon, 1894 [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spiderfam:0111] elevated to family and relimited by Kuntner, 2006: 24, re-synonymized with Araneidae by Dimitrov et al., 2017: 244; Nephilinae and Phonognathinae Simon, 1894 (Simon, 1894a: 746 as Phonognatheae), the valid name for Zygiellinae Simon, 1929 sensu Wunderlich, 2004f, elevated to family by Kuntner et al., 2019: 563, not accepted by Scharff et al., 2020 and Kallal et al., 2020, and confirmed as family by Kuntner et al., 2023: 969-970 along with the separation of Paraplectanoididae Kuntner, Coddington, Agnarsson & Bond, 2023; Nephilinae and Phonognathinae downgraded to subfamily and Paraplectanoididae considered a synonym of Araneidae by Hormiga et al., 2023: 803; family status of Paraplectanoididae, Nephilidae and Phonognathidae revalidated by Kuntner et al., 2025: 17, 23, but not accepted here for reasons of stability; Oarcinae (Gnolus and Oarces) transferred from the Mimetidae to the Araneidae by Dimitrov et al., 2012: Suppl. 1, p. 15, re-transfer to the Mimetidae by Eskov & Marusik, 2023: 340 not accepted here (by majority vote of the WSC boards); Eskov & Marusik, 2023: 241 and Eskov & Marusik, 2024: 52 consider Zygiellidae as the valid name instead of Phonognathidae and accept the family status of Nephilidae; the status of the Nephilinae and Phonognathinae (= Zygiellidae) as subfamilies is accepted by majority vote of the WSC boards; Eskov & Marusik, 2024: 52 list ten subfamilies and tribes as valid (besides Nephilidae and Zygiellidae): Araneinae, Argiopinae Simon, 1890a: 81 (sub Argiopidae), Cyrtarachninae Simon, 1895a: 876 (sub Cyrtarachneae), Сyrtophorinae Simon, 1895a: 876 (sub Cyrtophoreae), Gasteracanthinae O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1871e: 217 (sub Gasteracanthides), Micratheninae Simon, 1895a: 848 (sub Micratheneae), Guizygiellinae Zhu, Song & Zhang, 2003: 42, Caerostrini Simon, 1895a: 831 (sub Cerostreae), Hypognathini Simon, 1895a: 871 (sub Hypognatheae) and Poltyini Simon, 1895a: 888 (sub Poltyeae).

Gen. Backobourkia Framenau, Dupérré, Blackledge & Vink, 2010 urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidergen:03958
type Epeira heroine L. Koch, 1871; gender feminine

In synonymy:

Backobourkia annulata (Keyserling, 1886) = Backobourkia heroine (L. Koch, 1871) (Dondale, 1966: 1168, sub Araneus)

Backobourkia brouni indistincta (Urquhart, 1885, T from Epeira) = Backobourkia brouni (Urquhart, 1885) (Dalmas, 1917a: 384, sub Araneus)

Backobourkia reversa (Hogg, 1914, T from Araneus) = Backobourkia collina (Keyserling, 1886) (Framenau et al., 2010: 99)

Backobourkia ventricosella (Roewer, 1942, T from Araneus) = Backobourkia heroine (L. Koch, 1871) (Paquin et al., 2008d: 4, sub Eriophora)

Backobourkia ventriosa (Urquhart, 1892, T from Araneus) = Backobourkia heroine (L. Koch, 1871) (Paquin et al., 2008d: 4, sub Eriophora)

Nomen dubium:

Backobourkia felina (Butler, 1876a: 351, pl. 10, f. 1-2, f, Australia/Queensland, originally in Epeira) -- Framenau et al., 2010: 95

Backobourkia brouni (Urquhart, 1885) | | Australia, New Zealand urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:043116
Epeira brounii Urquhart, 1885: 32, pl. 10, f. 5a, c (Df; m f. 5b, d see Socca pustulosa) Original description
Epeira brounii indistincta Urquhart, 1885: 33 (D; preoccupied by Doleschall, 1859, see Araneus indistinctus) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:064139]
Epeira heroine Keyserling, 1886a: 138, f. 3-3a (f; misidentified per Framenau et al., 2010: 92)
Araneus brouni Dalmas, 1917a: 383, f. 47-48, 50 (mf, S of Epeira orientalis [revalidated by Court & Forster, 1988: 98, sub Neoscona] and E. brouni indistincta)
Epeira brouni Bryant, 1933b: 25 (S of Epeira trinotata, revalidated by Court & Forster, 1988: 72, sub Zealaranea)
Araneus heroine Dondale, 1966: 1166, f. 2A-C (mf; misidentified per Framenau et al., 2010: 96)
Araneus heroine Gibbs, 1982: 4, f. 1 (f; misidentified per Framenau et al., 2010: 96)
Eriophora heroine Court & Forster, 1988: 100, f. 352, 504-506, 508-513 (mf; misidentified per Framenau et al., 2010: 96)
Backobourkia brounii Framenau et al., 2010: 96, f. 1A-B, 5C-D, 10A-G (mf, removed from S of Eriophora heroine, rejecting Court & Forster, 1988: 100)
Backobourkia brounii Paquin, Vink & Dupérré, 2010: 48, f. 25.7-8 (mf)
Backobourkia collina (Keyserling, 1886) | | Australia urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015876
Epeira transmarina L. Koch, 1871: 59 (f; in part misidentified per Framenau et al., 2010: 99)
Epeira collina Keyserling, 1886a: 141, pl. 11, f. 5 (Df) Original description
Araneus reversus Hogg, 1914b: 77, pl. 1, f. 5 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015164]
Eriophora collina Archer, 1951a: 21 (T from Araneus)
Backobourkia collina Framenau et al., 2010: 99, f. 5E-F, 12A-G (Dm, f, T from Eriophora, S of Araneus reversus)
Backobourkia heroine (L. Koch, 1871) | | Australia (mainland, Norfolk Is.), New Caledonia, possibly New Zealand urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015881 TYPE SPECIES
Epeira heroine L. Koch, 1871: 51, pl. 4, f. 2 (Df) Original description
Epeira transmarina L. Koch, 1871: 59, pl. 5, f. 2-2a (f; misidentified per Keyserling, 1886a: 141)
Epeira heroine Keyserling, 1886a: 138 (Dm; f pl. 11, f. 3-3a see Backobourkia brouni)
Epeira annulata Keyserling, 1886a: 141 (Df) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:064117]
Epeira ventriosa Urquhart, 1892b: 243 (Df; preoccupied by Epeira ventriosa Urquhart, 1891 [see Araneus ventriosus], not by Epeira ventricosa L. Koch, 1878 [see Araneus ventricosus]) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:064140]
Aranea ventricosella Roewer, 1942a: 835 (replacement name for "Epeira ventricosa Urquhart" which is just a lapsus, but since the intended Urquhart name is actually preoccupied, Roewer's replacement name can be used) [urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:015278]
Araneus heroine Dondale, 1966: 1166, f. 2A-C (mf, S of Araneus annulatus; some specimens may belong to B. brouni)
Araneus heroine Hickman, 1967: 65, f. 115-117 (mf; some specimens may belong to B. brouni)
Eriophora heroine Court & Forster, 1988: 100 (T from Araneus, S of Araneus brouni [revalidated by Framenau et al., 2010: 96]; mf f. 352, 504-506, 508-513 see Backobourkia brouni)
Eriophora heroine Paquin et al., 2008d: 4 (S of Araneus ventricosellus and A. ventriosus Urquhart; both may be S of B. brouni)
Backobourkia heroine Framenau et al., 2010: 92, f. 1C-E, 4A-D, 5A-B, 6A-K, 7A-C, 8A-C (mf, T from Eriophora)
Backobourkia thyridota (Thorell, 1870) | | Australia (Queensland) urn:lsid:nmbe.ch:spidersp:053550
Epeira thyridota Thorell, 1870c: 367 (Dm, jf) Original description
Epeira thyridota L. Koch, 1871: 52, pl. 4, f. 3, pl. 7, f. 1 (m, jf)
Backobourkia thyridota Framenau et al., 2021b: 304 (T from Eriophora, removed from S of Eriophora transmarina, rejecting Dondale, 1966: 1164; probably senior S of Backobourkia brouni or B. heroine)

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